Dr. Bray's Plastic Surgery Blog

The popularity of the abdominoplasty procedure has been on the rise in recent years. However, in order to ensure a good outcome, it is important to determine if you are a good candidate before moving ahead with any procedure. This is the case for most cosmetic procedures.

Good candidates for abdominoplasty surgery (tummy tucks) have the following characteristics:

• Close to their ideal body weight (within 30%) – you many still be a good candidate if you have a lot of fat in an isolated area
• Want to remove loose skin, some fat, and muscle laxity in the abdominal area that is diet- and exercise-resistant
• Weight stable for six months or more
• Good skin tone and elasticity
• Realistic expectations
• Emotionally stable
• Understands the risks of surgery

If you smoke, have quit smoking in the recent past, or are often exposed to second-hand smoke, be aware that smoking decreases the amount of blood that flows to your body's tissues. The result is slower wound healing, skin loss, higher risk of infection, more scarring, and a variety of other possible complications.

If you are planning to lose quite a bit of weight, do so prior to your surgery. If you wish to get pregnant, consider waiting on abdominoplasty surgery since your abdomen will just become stretched with another pregnancy, and a number of women experience additional discomfort during pregnancy following a tummy tuck.

If you are considering a tummy tuck procedure, please contact Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center at 310-534-8300 to schedule an appointment and learn more about how we may assist you.